Procurement Collusion: The Intersection of Antitrust and Fraud Crimes (Presented by the Federal Bar Association Antitrust & Trade Regulation Section)

Michael Sawers | U.S. Department of Justice

Michael Sawers is the Assistant Deputy Director for Federal Spending in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force.  Mike also serves as a Trial Attorney in the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section, where he continues to prosecute cases involving price fixing, bid rigging, and market allocation schemes, including complicated procurement collusion cases.

As Assistant Deputy Director of the PCSF, Mike actively engages with counterparts in various United States government law enforcement agencies to safeguard federal procurement dollars and, where appropriate, coordinate the investigation and prosecution of fraud and collusion at all stages of the procurement and grant process.

Chris Campbell | U.S. Department of Energy

Chris Campbell is a Special Agent with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General where he has been investigating high-profile criminal and civil matters since 2012. With extensive experience in federal law enforcement, he plays a critical role in protecting national security and enforcing complex regulatory regimes and criminal statutes. Chris has served as the lead case agent on procurement collusion cases with the PCSF, and he received an Award of Distinction from the Antitrust Division for the successful trial of an individual for violating 18 U.S.C. § 371, Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.

Prior to his current position, Chris served as a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), where he was assigned to the Southwest border. In this role, he investigated cartel-related drug trafficking and smuggling operations, gaining firsthand expertise in transnational crime and border enforcement.

Chris Huber | The Huber Law Firm

Chris Huber is the founding member of The Huber Law Firm, where he primarily represents white-collar defendants in complex matters. Prior to founding his firm, Chris served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia for over 15 years, where he focused on complex frauds and False Claims Act cases. He served as the Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds and Cyber Crime Section for the last seven of those years, where he took on supervisory responsibilities for cases involving corporate and investment fraud, tax fraud, bank and mortgage fraud, and environmental crimes. Among other awards, Chris received an Award of Distinction from the Antitrust Division for his successful trial of three executives who violated 18 U.S.C. § 1031, Major Fraud Against the United States.

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chris was the Chairman of the Board for the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Chris received the Federal Bar Association Clifford Scott Green Bill of Rights Award for his representation of two prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, who have since been released. He was awarded the Allentown Human Relations Award for his work to defend its anti-discrimination ordinance.

Moderator, Meg Lewis | McGuireWoods LLP

Meg Lewis is a partner at McGuireWoods LLP in Washington D.C., where her practice focuses on advising clients on navigating multi-faceted investigations and litigation, including antitrust enforcement and white-collar prosecutions. She has two decades of experience managing teams and handling complex legal issues and high-stakes litigation in the public and private sectors. Meg served as Assistant Chief in the Washington Criminal and Criminal II Sections of DOJ’s Antitrust Division, where she supervised investigations and prosecutions of domestic and international antitrust and fraud violations, including procurement collusion cases. Prior to joining DOJ, Meg worked at a large law firm, where she represented clients in civil antitrust class action litigation, counseled clients on antitrust compliance, and conducted internal investigations.

I. Synopsis of the PCSF | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

II. Anatomy of a PCSF Investigation | 2:10pm – 2:25pm

III. Title 15 vs. Title 18 Charges | 2:25pm – 2:40pm

IV. Litigating PCSF Cases—Common Issues | 2:40pm – 2:55pm

V. Q&A | 2:55pm – 3:00pm